DUI & Criminal Defense Lawyers in Florida

ClearwaterCRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS

Clearwater Criminal Defense Lawyers

Some attorneys take a measured approach to Clearwater criminal defense by waiting until they have received discovery at the first court hearing to investigate and begin building a defense. Our team of Clearwater criminal defense lawyers represents clients based on the premise that it is never too early to begin working on your case. When clients retain our law firm before formal charges, our attorneys take a proactive approach that involves locating favorable witnesses and evidence. We are often able to use such evidence to influence the prosecutor’s decision on whether or not to file formal charges and agree to diversion. In situations where formal charges will be filed, we can also use this early intervention to influence the prosecutor’s charging decisions. Since the bulk of criminal cases end in a negotiated plea agreement, efforts to persuade a prosecutor to initially bring fewer counts or charge lesser offenses will establish more favorable parameters for a negotiated disposition.

Clearwater DUI Lawyers

People often have a sense of apprehension and uncertainty when they are arrested for DUI. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), law enforcement officers arrest over one million drivers every year for DUIs. Florida Statutes §316.193 specifies that a DUI conviction can be based on either driving without “normal faculties” or a BAL of .08 percent or higher.
If you remain calm and follow the steps outlined by our Clearwater DUI lawyers below, you improve the prospects of a positive outcome in your DUI case.

Show courtesy toward the officer who pulls you over

Have your license, registration, and proof of insurance ready when the officer approaches your vehicle

Keep your hands with the documents clearly visible on the steering wheel

Avoid getting into a discussion with the officer since any questions will be intended to obtain damaging statements or to observe evidence of intoxication

Respectfully decline to participate in field sobriety tests or a portable breath test by asking if the tests are completely accurate (asking to call your attorney for legal advice is an alternative approach)

Ask if you are free to leave

While the officer will not let you call your attorney and probably will not let you leave, the goal of these steps was never to prevent an arrest. This approach lays a foundation for multiple defense strategies while minimizing the evidence available to the prosecutor. And as always, the specific defenses our Clearwater DUI attorneys utilize will be customized to your unique case and situation. Potential defenses include:

Exposing violations of the strict guidelines for conducting standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs)

Officer’s reliance on inadequate facts to merit pulling you over

Failure of the officer to properly conduct a waiting period before administering a breath test

Establishing the breathalyzer was not maintained and calibrated properly

Sex Crime Defense Lawyers in Clearwater

Although no one wants to go to prison, the consequences of a sex crime conviction go well beyond an individual’s release from prison or satisfaction of the terms of a sentence. The lion-share of sex offense convictions requires registration as either a sex predator or as a sex offender. The punishment for a sex offense depends on the specific crime committed, but these penalties often vary. Penalties for sex criminals in Florida often include things like imprisonment, fines, mandatory counseling, community service, and probation. Further, many people convicted of a sex crime are subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender or as a sexual predator. This harsh sanction could impact your ability to obtain or hold a job, your residential options, your family relationships, and even your freedom to be present in many locations. Our sex crime defense lawyers in Clearwater have decades of experience handling the full spectrum of state and federal sex offenses. We can defend you if you have been arrested or if you are the subject of an investigation for crimes such as:

Domestic Violence Defense Lawyers in Clearwater

Like sex crimes, the consequence of a domestic violence conviction can extend far beyond a jail term, payment of fines, counseling participation, probation, and other formal punishments. Domestic violence under Florida law amounts to crimes involving violence, or threats of violence, committed between family or household members. Florida Statutes §741.28 lists the offenses that constitute domestic violence as follows:

Assault/Aggravated Assault

Battery/Aggravated Battery

Kidnapping

Stalking/Aggravated Stalking

False Imprisonment

Criminal Offenses Resulting in Injury or Death

False allegations made to gain the upper hand in a divorce or child custody matter could result in an injunction/restraining order or court orders that limit your access to your children, skew child custody arrangements, and/or grant the other party exclusive use and possession of your home. Our domestic violence lawyers in Clearwater carefully review the current police report, past incident reports, medical records, witness statements, physical evidence, and other information to build the most compelling defense for our clients.

A Wide Variety of Criminal Defense Attorneys in Clearwater

Our Clearwater criminal defense attorneys also handle many other criminal charges that include:

Whether you or a family member have been taken into custody or you are the target of a law enforcement investigation, our attorneys provide explanations in plain terms, keep our clients informed of the status of their case, and vehemently advocate for their best interest.

Florida Criminal Defense FirmDEDICATED TO DEFENDING YOUR RIGHTS

Get a Team of Skilled Lawyers Behind You

You can’t risk hiring an inexperienced or unqualified defense lawyer for your case. Instead, look to Musca Law for proven experience—both in and out of the courtroom. We have the results to prove our skill and qualifications, so do not hesitate to give our legal team a call.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.